Color Blind

The average human eye can detect about seven million colors, two of those seven million colors pose an important role in shaping the American culture. Blue and pink, both these colors are used in society to represent masculinity and femininity. From the moment most children are born either a blue or pink color welcomes them into our society. Children grow up in the wake of these gender specific colors. Many boys are taught not to like “feminine”colors. Boys often get teased if they prefer a nice rosy pink to a blue hue; however, girls face no social stigmas for wearing masculine colors. Society, the media, and parents should not push boys to like certain colors based on gender. The stress caused by gender specific colors can cause many psychological issues in later life, as well as harassment from peers.

In American society there is a great amount of pressure on boys to be tough, sporty, and masculine. Boys are expected to look manly even at a young age. From infancy most boys are dressed in blue clothing sporting a tough image such as a truck or perhaps a dinosaur. The blue “tough” apparel the clothing companies manufacture and sell to stores influence a large percentage of parents to dress their boys in blue. This influence creates an unhealthy obsession among parents and kids to live up to the image the color represents. Mens sport teams also typically wear very “tough” colors. The washington nationals proudly rock a bright red, the Dallas cowboys wear a deep blue. The sports stars who are plastered on poster paper, and hung in young boys rooms further embed a strong manly mindset that's associated with the colors players wear on the playing field. If boys feel they do not live up to such an image it can create major self...

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...ne colors, most men still do not dare to wear a polo that is light pink with blue and purple stripes. Even with these companies support society still rejects the idea of feminine colors also being manly.

Colors that are attributed to a specific gender have helped to shape American society. Without such unspoken color rules many more males would feel comfortable wearing the colors they really enjoy as well as feeling more free to be themselves. If all colors were unbiased towards gender there would be less pressure on boys to live up to a masculine image by wearing certain colors. In a society that tells you to be yourself but then pushes an ideal on what colors girls should wear and what color boys should wear is counterproductive. All colors such as all people should be equal, and should not determine one's masculinity nor should they determine one's femininity.